| Duration: | 1 Day(s) - 0 Night(s) |
| Tour Category: | Full Day Tours |
DAY 1. ARRIVAL & AFTERNOON TEMPLE
Arrive in Siem Reap and we transfer to your hotel...
In the afternoon, we drive to Checkpoint to purchase your Angkor Pass. Drive to Banteay Kdei Temple. Great introduction temple, lots of trees and very atmospheric, generally not too busy.
The citadel of the cells. In the ruin and confusion of Banteay Kdei the carvings take one's interest. They are piquant, exquisite, not too frequent... they seem meant.. to make adorable a human habitation. Banteay Kdei is located south of Ta Prohm Temple. A enter the monument from the west and leave at the west or vice versa, either way, also visit Srah Srang.
It was built in the middle of the 12th century to the beginning of the 13th century by king Jayavarman II in Mahaya Buddhism with following at least two different art periods Angkor Wat and Bayon are discernible at Banteay Kdei. Finally, we continue to Pre Rup for Sunset – Crematorium temple surrounded by nice countryside and good sun viewing.
Getting busier now but nothing like the number of tourists in Phnom Bhakeng.
Explore More About Angkor Wat:
Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia is the largest religious monument in the world. Angkor Wat, translated from Khmer (the official language of Cambodia) literally means “City Temple.” As far as names go this is as generic as it gets. Angkor Wat was not the original name given to the temple when it was built in the 12th century.
The construction of Angkor Wat likely began in the year 1116 C.E.—three years after King Suryavarman II came to the throne—with construction ending in 1150, shortly after the king’s death. Evidence for these dates comes in part from inscriptions, which are vague, but also from the architectural design and artistic style of the temple and its associated sculptures.
There are 1,200 square meters of carved bas reliefs at Angkor Wat, representing eight different Hindu stories. Perhaps the most important narrative represented at Angkor Wat is the Churning of the Ocean of Milk(below), which depicts a story about the beginning of time and the creation of the universe. It is also a story about the victory of good over evil. In the story, devas (gods) are fighting the asuras (demons) in order to reclaim order and power for the gods who have lost it.
In order to reclaim peace and order, the elixir of life (amrita) needs to be released from the earth; however, the only way for the elixir to be released is for the gods and demons to first work together. To this end, both sides are aware that once the amrita is released there will be a battle to attain it.
An aerial view of Angkor Wat demonstrates that the temple is made up of an expansive enclosure wall, which separates the sacred temple grounds from the protective moat that surrounds the entire complex (the moat is visible in the photograph at the top of the page). The temple proper is comprised of three galleries (a passageway running along the length of the temple) with a central sanctuary, marked by five stone towers.
Angkor Wat continues to play an important role in Cambodia even though most of the population is now Buddhist. Since the 15th century, Buddhists have used the temple, and visitors today will see, among the thousands of visitors, Buddhist monks, and nuns who worship at the site. Angkor Wat has also become an important symbol for the Cambodian nation. Today, the Cambodian flag has emblazoned on it the silhouette of Angkor Wat.
